


Come Home To Me

by vix_spes



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Established Relationship, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Getting Together, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-10-29 17:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10858980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: From having to keep his relationship with Bodhi a secret to it being common knowledge, one thing remained the same for Galen; waiting for Bodhi to come home never got any easier.





	1. Then

There were plenty of things that Galen Erso hated about his life – being forced to build something that was only capable of destruction being first and foremost on the list but by no means the only thing. But, at the moment, what he hated most was that he had to keep the fact that he was in a relationship a secret, that he couldn’t outwardly show his worry for his lover. Bodhi should have landed on Eadu twelve hours ago and with every hour that passed with still no sign of Bodhi, Galen’s anxiety ramped higher and higher.

When he had lost Lyra and Jyn all those years ago, Galen had never thought that he would love again and he had accepted that. It was for the best. He didn’t think that he could go through the unimaginable pain of loving someone again only to have them torn away as a means of controlling him as Krennic had with Lyra. He had instead resigned himself to being alone and sworn to do all that he could to sabotage the project that he was being forced to work on. He had vowed that he would do his best to honour Lyra’s sacrifice and hopefully not embarrass Jyn with their familial connection, assuming that she had survived and was with Saw. Stuck on the isolated, storm-battered planet of Eadu, the last thing that Galen had expected to do was fall in love.

Even so, that was precisely what had happened. Galen had been in the mess hall when a voice behind him had asked him which line would lead to the droid serving the best food. More than a little taken aback because even him fellow scientists only spoke to him when they had to, Galen had turned around to find a somewhat bedraggled young man wearing the uniform of an Imperial cargo pilot. Galen had simply stared in stupefaction as the young man had repeated his question, too caught up in the combination of sharp cheekbones, dark eyes like pools of molten Trammistan chocolate and hair that Galen’s fingers itched to sink into. When he had realised that the man was still waiting for a response, Galen had replied, his tongue tripping and stumbling over the words, much as it had when he had first started courting Lyra.

The shy smile that he received in response was heart-stoppingly gorgeous and, for just a moment, Galen forgot how to breathe. Of course, he then proceeded to fumble and drop his tray as though he were a boy with his first crush. Galen had closed his eyes in mortification as he bent to collect the tray, wishing that the ground would just open up and swallow him whole, more than a little grateful that the stubble on his cheeks covered the worst of the flush. When he opened his eyes, and straightened up, he hadn’t expected the beauty to still be stood there, much less stood with a smile on his lips and his hand held out.

“I’m Bodhi, Bodhi Rook.”

“Galen Erso.”

And that had been the extent of their first interaction as, once he’d got through the serving droids, Galen had been summoned to answer a series of questions on kyber crystals posited by the other scientists and Bodhi had been swallowed up by a group of other pilots but, even so, Galen had found his gaze constantly wandering to the younger man and was more than a little gratified to see that his gaze met with Bodhi’s own on more than one occasion. Still, Galen had assumed that he wouldn’t see Bodhi Rook again. After all, there were large numbers of cargo pilots working for the Empire, all of them constantly being sent from one end of the galaxy to the other.

Galen hadn’t seen the pilot – Bodhi – the following day but he had stayed in Galen’s mind nonetheless, far more so than Galen had expected. There was something about Bodhi that had captured Galen’s attention in a way that no-one had since Lyra and he didn’t know if he’d ever see the man again. Galen knew nothing about him other than his name and the fact that he was a pilot but that didn’t matter. More than once, he was tempted to search the databanks for more information; his security clearance would permit him to do so but he didn’t know how far Krennic’s surveillance of him went and he didn’t want anything to happen to the young pilot thanks to a mere whim of Galen’s. So, instead, Galen resigned himself to remaining curious and had stayed away from delving into Bodhi’s personnel files.

Still, he found his thoughts dwelling upon Bodhi far more than he had ever expected. He found himself wondering how long the younger man had worked for the Empire, how he had become a pilot, whether it was always what he had wanted to do, any number of things. Galen had also found his thoughts drifting to how attractive Bodhi was. It had been a long time since he had been interested in another man but he found himself focusing far more on whether Bodhi’s hair was as soft as it looked, just how far that blush travelled and how those full lips would feel under Galen’s own. It had all come to a head one evening in the small fresher attached to his rooms when he had found himself masturbating for the first time since the death of his wife, Bodhi’s face behind his eyelids and Bodhi’s name on his lips when he came hard enough to see stars.

He had battled with himself for several weeks after that, feeling guilty over the fact that Lyra had died because of him yet here he was lusting after someone else, before he had finally decided that he had spent long enough mourning Lyra and that she would have wanted him to be happy. Besides, what did it matter when he didn’t know if he was ever going to see Bodhi again?

~*~

So, it was with no little pleasure that Galen found his dinner being interrupted about a month after he first met Bodhi by a tray being set down with an audible thump on the table. Galen had looked up in surprise – very few people voluntarily sat with Galen – only to find his lips twisting into a small smile as he recognised the intruder. There, in the flesh and not merely a figment of his imagination, was Bodhi.

“I think I managed to pick the wrong droid; this looks like bantha crap. Sorry, you don’t mind me joining you, do you? You look as though you’re probably important … am I even allowed to sit with you?”

“I suppose I am important but there are no rules as to who I am and am not permitted to sit with, at least not as far as I’m aware. Most people simply choose not to socialise with me.”

“Their loss.” Bodhi sat down and forked up a mouthful of food. “Ugh, this tastes like bantha crap as well. Still, I suppose it’s better than the ration bars we get given.”

Galen remained silent as Bodhi nattered away for a bit, absentmindedly taking a few bites of his dinner and privately agreeing with Bodhi; it did taste like bantha crap.

“I’m sorry; you didn’t come here to have me talk at you. I’ll shut up now.”

“I don’t mind. As I said, most people tend to avoid me.”

“I can’t understand that. I mean, you’re nice and good-looking and, um, what is it that you do?”

“I’m a scientist.” Galen’s words were hesitant, loathe to say too much about what he did lest he scare Bodhi off, but also because he was somewhat dumbfounded that Bodhi thought he was attractive. Even so, not wanting to scare Bodhi off – not when he was the first friendly contact that Galen had had since he arrived on Eadu – even if he should probably be honest about why he was on Eadu, Galen changed the subject. “I never expected to see you back here; we don’t usually see cargo pilots more than once. Not that it’s not good to see you again.”

“Yeah, well, this isn’t the most hospitable of planets; there aren’t many of us that will fly through the storms, even less of us that can do it and can keep ship and cargo in one piece. With them wanting so many regular shipments here from Jedha, those of us that can do it get a regular run. I’m from Jedha and my family still lives there so I was a logical choice; a regular gig seemed like a good idea so I can send money back home. Besides, regular trips mean that I get to see this rather charming, hot scientist so that’s a bonus.”

Feeling the heat rise in his cheeks at Bodhi’s flirting – he thought it was flirting but it had been a long time – Galen forced himself to look at Bodhi, seeing his eyes darting all over nervously as well as a blush that matched Galen’s.

“I rather think that I get the better end of the deal if every shipment from Jedha is delivered by this rather dashing pilot that I’ve recently become acquainted with.”

The two of them, still blushing, managed to make eye contact and Galen couldn’t help but be amazed that, on Eadu of all places and amid the sheer awfulness of what he was being forced to build, something pure and beautiful like this – whatever this was between himself and Bodhi – could be born.

~*~

Unfortunately, pure and beautiful as it may be, what existed between Galen and Bodhi had no place in the Empire. Galen had learnt his lesson from before; if anybody knew about it – if Krennic knew about it – then it would be crushed underfoot until it was completely and utterly destroyed. And that was only after Krennic had used that knowledge to manipulate and force Galen into doing anything Krennic wanted from him. Thus, everything was kept hidden; stolen moments in the cargo hanger, snatched nights together in Galen’s quarters and Galen hated it. Their first night together had ended up with Bodhi hiding in the fresher when Krennic had decided to pay a surprise visit to Galen’s rooms in the early hours of the morning to discuss some bureaucratic piece of nonsense. The two of them had laughed like boys afterwards but it had hardly been the mood that Galen had been aiming for. He hated that what he had with Bodhi felt like a dirty secret because he was far from that and, having been lucky enough to find love a second time, Galen wanted to shout it to the world.

Oh, the illicit nature of it had been almost appealing at the beginning; it had added a frisson of excitement to everything. They had kissed for the first time some three weeks after the first meal that they had shared together. It hadn’t been the only meal that they had shared in that time, far from it. Indeed, they had managed to seek each other out whenever Bodhi was planet-side; Bodhi always found Galen in the mess hall and Galen often found himself hovering near the hangers when the ships came in from Jedha, just on the off-chance that Bodhi was the pilot.

Then again, Bodhi didn’t need to be on-planet for him to be on Galen’s mind. No, in fact Bodhi was on Galen’s mind permanently, proving to be such a thorough distraction that in the last few days Krennic had been heard to complain about the way that productivity on the Death Star had slowed. Not that Galen had paid him the blindest bit of notice; he’d been too far gone in his fantasies of what it would be like to finally kiss Bodhi. What those lips would feel like under his, how Bodhi would feel in his arms, the noises that he would make as Galen kissed him; all of it far more pleasant than listening to Krennic droning on about how the project wasn’t advancing as quickly as desired.

In the end, when Galen finally did kiss Bodhi, it was an impulsive gesture, Galen acting purely on instinct.

_***FLASHBACK***_

Beset with storms at the best of times, Eadu wasn’t the most welcoming of planets but the storms that had besieged them for the last week had been the worst that Galen had ever seen since he arrived on Eadu. One ship had attempted to land three days ago but the pilot – whoever they were – had seriously underestimated the heavy natural cloud cover of the planet and lost control of the ship, careening into one of the many rock formations that made up the planet’s surface before ending up smashed to smithereens at the bottom of one of Eadu’s many canyons. In response, all of the rest of the cargo pilots had refused to even attempt to breach Eadu’s atmosphere, instead orbiting the planet as they waited for the storms to recede to their usual levels, which led to a complete disruption in the supply of kyber crystals actually making it to the facility which in turn led to Krennic being on the warpath and thus even more unbearable than usual.

The storms had continued without abating for another three days when they received notification that there was one cargo pilot making the run from Jedha who was willing to brave the storms and attempt to land. Galen didn’t need a name – not that one would be given, just a number – to know that there was only one pilot crazy enough to attempt such a feat; Bodhi. Cursing internally that, yet again, he’d managed to find someone with an impetuous nature and very little sense of self-preservation, Galen had resolved to find somewhere he could watch what was happening; he _needed_ to know precisely what Bodhi was doing.

Standing unobtrusively in a corner of the control centre, all but holding his breath as he listened to the ground crew doing their best to guide Bodhi although with the storm and the way that Bodhi’s voice kept breaking up, Galen wasn’t entirely certain how much help they were being. As he watched Bodhi’s slow but so far steady progress, Galen found himself praying to the Force that Lyra had always sworn by, begging it to protect Bodhi and help him land safely. Wincing slightly as his nails dug into the flesh of his palm he was clenching his fists that hard, Galen finally allowed himself to admit the truth; he was well on the way to falling head over heels in love with Bodhi Rook and, in all honesty, had been from their very first meeting.

Bodhi’s descent to the surface of Eadu was excruciatingly slow and there had been one agonising moment when a particularly strong gust of wind had blown Bodhi off-course and perilously close to a rock formation similar to that which had wiped out the other pilot just days earlier. But, either Bodhi was a superior pilot or the Force was watching out for him (or even both) because he was final coming in to land and Galen could breathe once again. He tried to stay out of the way as he made his way down to the hangar bay, watching from a shadowy corner as the shipment of kyber was unloaded and Krennic deigned to speak to a lowly cargo pilot, congratulating Bodhi on his tenacity and completing his job. Galen started to run out of patience as Krennic continued talking and, unseen, Galen rolled his eyes; Krennic always had liked the sound of his own voice a little too much. Then finally, _finally,_ it was just Bodhi and Galen left in the hangar.

Galen indulged himself for several minutes, drinking in the sight of Bodhi in front of him; a sight for sore eyes indeed, at least those that belonged to worried scientists. Bodhi looked drained, proof of just how much his feat of skill had taken out of him, and Galen couldn’t watch in silence any longer. With one more quick glance around to ensure that they were still alone, Galen stepped out of the shadows and called out softly.

“Bodhi.”

The pilot started at hearing his name, squinting slightly as he looked around the hanger before relief crossed his face as he saw Galen standing half-hidden in the shadows. He headed for Galen at a half run and as soon as Bodhi was within arm’s length, Galen reached out and pulled Bodhi into a tight embrace, feeling Bodhi’s arms wrap around him just as tightly. Dropping his head slightly, Galen buried his nose in Bodhi’s hair and allowed himself to indulge in the feel and scent of Bodhi in his arms.

Pulling back slightly, Galen brought one of his hands up to brush over one defined cheekbone before moving it lower so that it was just resting on Bodhi's lower lip. The light may have been dim given that they were hidden in the shadows but they were stood close enough together that Galen could see the way that Bodhi's pupils dilated and he knew that Bodhi wanted this as much as he did. Even so, Galen's movements were tentative as he leant in and kissed Bodhi for the first time. It was nothing more than a few seconds of simply pressing their lips together, as though some part of Galen was still afraid of rejection. Breaking contact, Galen tilted his head back to try and gauge Bodhi's reaction only to see that Bodhi's eyes were still closed and his lips slightly parted, making for a rather irresistible picture. Galen had absolutely no intention of even trying to resist. Moving back in, he pressed his lips to Bodhi's once more, exerting more pressure now that he was confident he wasn't going to be rebuffed.

This time, Bodhi all but melted into Galen and Galen couldn't hold back the groan of pleasure that escaped him at Bodhi's response. He wrapped his free arm around Bodhi's trim waist, pulling him closer so that they were flush together from chest to hips, moaning again as Bodhi's mouth opened under his and arms twined themselves around his neck, almost as though Bodhi was trying to crawl into his skin.

Not that Galen had any complaints. Now that he finally had Bodhi in his arms, he didn't want to let him go although, what remained of rational thought reminded him that they should not linger here overlong lest they be found. But then Bodhi shifted closer with a sound that could almost be described as a whimper and rational thought was beyond Galen's capabilities.

Using his hand on Bodhi's cheek, Galen tilted his head to the perfect angle for him to swipe his tongue across the seam of Bodhi's lips, delving inside when Bodhi opened them with alacrity. The taste and feel of Bodhi was delectable, better than any of Galen's fantasies and he didn't want to stop but, all too soon, breathing became a necessity and they were forced to part.

"Please tell me this wasn't just a one time thing?"

Bodhi was flushed and panting for breath and Galen was just as affected. He brushed one more kiss over swollen lips before speaking. "Definitely not. More of a 'for as long as you want me' thing."

"Galen, I've been waiting for you to kiss me since you dropped your tray in the mess hall; how does forever sound?"

Galen smiled somewhat sadly. He wasn't so sure that he believed in forevers anymore - the past had shown him that - but there was no denying that he liked the idea.

"Perfect."

Maybe, if they were lucky, they'd get it.

_***END FLASHBACK***_

If Galen had found that first time stressful, it was nothing compared to how he was currently feeling.

It hadn’t taken long for Galen to memorise Bodhi’s flight schedule, knowing exactly when he would leave Jedha and when he was due to land on Eadu. It helped that Bodhi was always on time; he was never late. Ever. Even when he had had to fly through storms so fierce that none of the other cargo pilots dare attempt it, Bodhi had been on time. It was for that exact reason that Galen was now worried because Bodhi – who was always on time – should have docked on Eadu precisely one day ago and he had failed to arrive. Not only that but all attempts to raise contact with him since his supposed arrival, despite numerous efforts from the ground crews, had failed.

He had left Jedha on time, that much Galen knew because Bodhi had managed to get his hands on a pair of communicators for the two of them to use while Bodhi was working, pressing one of them on Galen muttering something about smugglers and telling him not to ask too many questions. They hadn’t been able to speak since Bodhi had gone into hyper-space so Galen had no idea where he could be or what had happened to him.

Worse still, Galen couldn’t openly show his fear, could tell no-one that he feared for Bodhi’s life. The only thing that he could do was disguise his fear as annoyance that the shipment of kyber crystals had been delayed. This was the final push that he needed to take a step that he’d been considering for a long time; leaving all of this behind and attempting to make it to either the Rebel Alliance or Saw Gerrera and his Partisans.

He’d been thinking about it for a long time, long before he had met Bodhi, and knew that his knowledge of the Death Star and the fault that he had built into it would make him useful even if he was despised for being an Imperial collaborator. The biggest difficulty that Galen could foresee was getting off Eadu itself and even after that it would hardly be plain sailing but the risks would be more than worth it and he was sure that Bodhi would agree with him. Galen wasn’t convinced that they would be successful, that Krennic would ever let him leave Eadu alive, but he was happy to try – he _needed_ to try - for Bodhi and for the chance of a life together.

All he needed was for Bodhi to make it back to him so that they had the possibility of a life together in freedom. A life where they didn’t have to hide anymore.


	2. Now

What a difference three years made. Where once Galen had had to hide not only his worry for Bodhi but their entire relationship, here it was common knowledge that the two of them were involved. Not only was it common knowledge but it was accepted. The Rebel Alliance was a very different place to the Galactic Empire.

In truth, there were some days when Galen still found it hard to believe that he was alive, let alone that he had made it to the Rebel Alliance. Or rather that he had been rescued by them. There had been so many obstacles yet, completely against the odds, he had made it and had been reunited not only with his lover but his long-lost daughter as well.

_***FLASHBACK***_

Seeing Jyn had been akin to a fever dream; Galen was convinced that he had to be hallucinating, there couldn’t be any other explanation for it. Galen would be the first to admit that he had fallen into something of a depression once he had dispatched Bodhi off to Saw and his partisans. How could he not? He had all but sent his lover into the jaws of death, for there was a very real chance that, if Bodhi made it as far as Saw on Jedha, that he would be killed outright for being an Imperial, defector or not. If he was caught trying to get to Saw then the item that he carried and the information held on it guaranteed that Galen had signed not only his own death warrant but Bodhi’s as well. Knowing this had made it even harder for Galen to persuade Bodhi that it had to be him and him alone that carried the transmission to Saw; it would be too dangerous for both of them and Galen knew that, but resisting Bodhi’s pleading eyes were a true test of strength. Sending Bodhi was risky enough but sending Galen was doubly risky; few people would think to question a cargo pilot. Eventually though, he had succeeded, even if it had resulted in both of them being unhappy.

The night before Bodhi left Eadu for the last time, both men had been near to tears. Knowing that any promises Galen made would simply be empty words, the only words he allowed past his lips were Bodhi’s name, an array of endearments and a myriad of “I love you’s”. Beyond that, he used his hands and lips to worship Bodhi, searing every sound, every movement that Bodhi made into his brain. After all, it would be all that Galen had to sustain him. Later that night, or rather in the early hours of the morning, as a sated Bodhi slept nestled as close to Galen as physically possible, Galen remained awake, drinking in every detail of Bodhi as, once again – just as he had all those months ago – he prayed to the Force to keep Bodhi safe.

Galen had heard nothing from Bodhi once he had left Eadu for the final time, after one final, snatched kiss in the shadows of the hanger bay. Neither of them had said anything. They had simply clung to each other as they pressed their lips together, both of them able to taste the salt from their tears. Instead, he had tried not to think of Bodhi and focused on making it appear as though the project was still progressing when, in actuality, Galen was doing all he could to delay it. However, while he was many things, Galen was not a miracle worker and thus he wasn’t entirely surprised when Krennic discovered the existence of the transmission that he had made. Standing with his fellow researchers and listening to Krennic threatening to shoot all of them, Galen had felt truly disgusted at himself for once having believed the best of Krennic and considering him a friend. He had known then what he had to do. It was bad enough that he had contributed to the Tarkin Initiative and the ensuing Death Star, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t speak up and take ownership of what he had done. Galen regretted that he would never see Bodhi or Jyn again – if they were even alive – but it had to be done and there had been no doubt in his mind as he stepped forward. His actions had nevertheless been in vain and Galen had watched, horrified, as Krennic gave the order and Galen’s fellow researchers were mown down around him before Krennic struck him about the face and the world exploded around him.

The force of the blast threw both Galen and Krennic to the platform and when his senses returned somewhat, Galen was aware that not only did his entire body hurt but that everything had been thrown into chaos. Ignoring both his dizziness and the ringing in his ears, Galen craned his neck as far as he could before the pain became too overwhelming and saw several Y-Wings flying overheard, undoubtedly about to make a second pass and resigned himself to the inevitability of death.

The Rebel Alliance had arrived.

Yet, it was not death that welcomed him.

The galaxy was still full of surprises for Galen for it was his daughter that took him into her arms, cradling him to her. Galen had raised a shaking hand, staring in wonderment at features that he had never thought to see again but that were instantly recognisable. Despite the pain in his chest that grew with each shallow breath, he forced himself to speak.

“Jyn? Stardust. It must be destroyed … Jyn. Look at you. I have so much to tell you.”

However willing his mind was, Galen’s body was not so and before he could say anything more, black swam up to envelope him. When he had awoken, marvelling at that in and of itself, it had been to a very different world and to his daughter sat by his bedside.

Even as he struggled with the knowledge that not only was he alive but that Jyn - his daughter – was still alive, Galen caught sight of another equally loved face lying in a bed on the other side of room. Bodhi. Jyn, seeing where his gaze rested, had given him the information that he dare not ask for.

“He was injured in the assault on Scarif. They threw a grenade into the ship to stop him from communicating with the Rebel fleet. Bodhi still managed to transmit the message telling them to take down the shield wall and pilot the ship to rescue the rest of us.”

“Is he?” Galen couldn’t bring himself to let the word pass his lips.

“No, he’s not dead. He should be. They’re waiting for him to stabilise before they put him back in a bacta tank. Saw tortured him with the Bor Gullet; he wasn’t convinced that Bodhi was what he said, thought he was lying. Combined with the explosion, his body shut down. The medics are positive he’ll be fine though.”

Galen had closed his eyes in relief. He had done nothing to deserve it but he had his daughter, his lover and his life. What more could he ask for?

_***END FLASHBACK***_

“They’re going to be okay. They’re going to come back.”

Galen smiled at Jyn in sympathy as she came up beside him and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, feeling her arm loop around his waist in return as she rested her head against his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before burying his nose in her hair, the fact that he could do so still a novelty even after three years. *

“Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?”

Jyn’s response was to turn into him, turning their embrace from a half-hug to Jyn being enveloped in Galen’s arms, just as when she was a child. “I don’t know. Both of us?” There was silence before Jyn spoke again. “Does it ever get easier? Waiting for them to come home? How do you do it? Wave Bodhi off on all these flights not knowing if he’s going to come back.”

“Oh, my stardust.” Galen tightened his arms round Jyn as he carefully considered his words. Jyn had taken news of his relationship with Bodhi far better than he had ever hoped but nonetheless.

_***FLASHBACK***_

The medical bay was quiet with just the patients, a handful of staff and Galen present. Everyone else on the base was currently celebrating the destruction of the Death Star, an overwhelming sense of joy permeating the atmosphere despite the lingering grief for the lives that had been lost. For his part, Galen was torn between relief that the flaw he had placed in the system had enabled the Rebel pilots to eventually destroy the Death Star and a mix of shame and horror that something he had had a part in creating had taken so many lives. Galen had attended the earlier ceremony, watching his daughter – his Stardust -, be presented with a medal by the Alderaanian princess in honour of her actions on Scarif alongside her comrades although one significant figure had been missing. As the formal ceremony had descended into far more informal celebrations, Galen had quietly slipped away to the medical bay and Bodhi’s bedside.

His lover hadn’t regained consciousness since he had made a shaky landing on Yavin 4, safely depositing every member of Rogue One before summarily passing out. Galen was fairly certain that Bodhi had no idea that Galen had survived both the massacre of scientists and researchers followed by the bombing of the facility on Eadu, mostly thanks to the skills of the Rebel medics. The very medics that were currently looking after Bodhi. Not that Galen had known that Bodhi was back on Eadu until he had regained consciousness himself. Desperately trying to be rational and tell himself that Bodhi’s behaviour wasn’t unusual given the injuries he had suffered, Galen had sought out the medics and been reassured that they were happy with Bodhi’s progress and that they expected him to wake up at any moment.

It was for that reason that Galen was here rather than celebrating with everyone else (although he wasn’t sure how welcome he would be, Imperial collaborator that he was); he didn’t want Bodhi to wake up alone. Instead, he sat in the uncomfortable chair despite the complaints of his own aching and still healing body, clasping one of Bodhi’s hands in his, his gaze locked on Bodhi’s, desperately searching for any sign of him waking up. He was so completely focused on Bodhi that he was oblivious to the fact that someone else had entered the medical bay until he heard Jyn’s voice.

“He means a lot to you, doesn’t he? Bodhi, I mean.”

“Jyn! You should still be at the celebrations.”

“You weren’t there so I came looking for you. It wasn’t hard to figure out where you’d be.”

“Jyn…”

“Papa. Please talk to me. Bodhi, he isn’t just some random pilot that you convinced to carry your transmission, is he? He means more to you than that. A lot more.”

“Stardust…”

“Please, papa. I know we’ve only just found each other again but please don’t lie to me. Especially not out of some misguided but well-meaning attempt to protect me.”

“So much like your mother. Very well. No, Bodhi is not just some random pilot. He is far more than that. Bodhi has been my lover for almost two years.” Galen winced at the thud that was produced as Jyn dropped into a neighbouring chair.

“Your lover?”

“Yes. I never expected it to happen and it doesn’t mean that I stopped loving your mother; I will always love Lyra and I mourned her for years. I never expected to fall in love again and then I met Bodhi. I fought it for a long time; I didn’t want to fall in love again after being scarred by the loss of you and your mother but he slipped behind my defences and I was in love with him before I knew it.”

Galen took the opportunity to glance over at Jyn and was heartened to see no disgust on her face, merely a mix of curiosity and some confusion. Taking heart, he continued talking.

“Sending Bodhi to Saw with the transmission was one of the hardest things that I have ever done but I knew that it had to be done. Krennic had lied to me about what my research was being used for and I couldn’t live with myself so I had built in the flaw. When it became clear that that wasn’t enough, I made the transmission. I couldn’t take it to Saw myself – it would be too obvious – so I persuaded Bodhi to take it; he wanted to abandon the Empire as much as I did but for him it was easier than for I. I didn’t know that he had made it to Saw until the facility on Eadu was bombed and I didn’t know that Bodhi had survived until I woke up here.”

Before Galen could say anything else, there was a rustling of bed sheets and the hand encased in Galen’s twitched slightly. Instantaneously forgetting about Jyn, Galen turned his attention to the awakening form of his lover. Keeping hold of Bodhi’s hand, Galen stood and leant over the bed, brushing strands of hair out of Bodhi’s face and behind his ear.

It felt like an age although Galen knew that in reality it probably wasn’t more than a few minutes but, finally, Bodhi’s eyes opened and Galen bit back a sob as his eyes locked onto orbs that he had once compared to molten Trammistan chocolate. He watched as Bodhi’s eyes widened the instant that he realised who was staring at him, shock and confusion warring for dominance. Galen lost his battle against tears as Bodhi finally spoke.

“’alen? ‘m I dead?”

Galen shook his head, feeling tears trail down his cheeks. “No, Bodhi, you’re not dead. You’re alive, we’re both alive, love.”

A new emotion made an appearance; hope. Galen waited patiently as Bodhi raised a shaking hand, tracing gently over Galen’s features before brushing away the tears that were still falling down Galen’s cheeks before cupping his face.

“We’re alive. Galen, we’re alive!”

Galen swallowed roughly and turned his head to press a kiss to the palm of Bodhi’s hand, the reality of the situation truly sinking in. Bodhi was alive, he was going to survive. He closed his eyes tightly, as if to assuage the tidal wave of emotions that threatened to overtake him, as he pressed a second kiss to Bodhi’s hand before muttering into the flesh that he’d just kissed,

“I love you, Bodhi Rook. So much.”

Almost instantaneously, he felt Bodhi’s hand moving to tangle in Galen’s hair and using the grip to pull him down closer to Bodhi. Galen found his eyes opening involuntarily, unable to look anywhere but straight at Bodhi.

“I love you too, Galen Erso.”

Galen lost his battle against tears once more as Bodhi pulled him down the last few inches so that they could press their lips together in a chaste kiss. By the time that Galen pulled back, it was clear that Bodhi had exhausted what little energy reserves that he had, so Galen pressed another soft kiss to his lips and brushed his thumb against Bodhi’s bottom lip.

“Sleep. Recover your strength. I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

Bodhi did so without complaint, proof of just how much his injuries had taken out of him, sliding into sleep having entwined his fingers with Galen’s. it was only when he heard rustling that Galen remembered Jyn’s presence. Before he could open his mouth, she fobbed him off, leaning in to kiss his cheek with a small smile playing on her lips.

“I’m happy for you, Papa. We’ll talk more later.”

Before Galen could say anything, Jyn had squeezed his shoulder and slipped out of the room, leaving Galen alone. Disregarding the medical personnel, Galen made the decision to join Bodhi in the bed, wrapping himself around Bodhi’s smaller form and feeling the last remaining bits of tension leech from both of their bodies as Bodhi’s body subconsciously moulded itself to fit Galen’s, leaving him with the feeling that, for the first time in years, all was right in his world.

_***END FLASHBACK***_

He had had a feeling that Jyn would find this hard.

It was the first time that Cassian had gone on a mission without her as there was no need for the Pathfinders on this particular occasion. Baze and Chirrut had also been left behind while Cassian and Bodhi had departed on the mission but their situation was somewhat different. How he wished that he could tell her what she wanted to hear.

“Honestly, I’m afraid that no it doesn’t get any easier. I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, that it gets easier but I would be lying. Waving your lover off, knowing what situation they are going off to face, knowing that they may come back injured or not at all, that never gets any easier. I have been with Bodhi for five years now and waving him off for a mission is still one of the hardest things that I have ever done.”

“How do you bear it?”

The words were whispered against Galen’s neck but he still heard them clearly. “I hope. I have faith in both Bodhi’s skills as a pilot and in his desire to return home to me. There is little else that I can do. It is far easier these days than in the early days of our relationship.”

Galen felt Jyn shift so that she could tilt her head up to look him in the eye. “What do you mean?” He wasn’t sure if Jyn truly wanted to know or if she was simply trying to distract herself. Given that he himself could do with the distraction, he didn’t question it.

“Before we were picked up by the Rebellion, Bodhi and I had to keep our relationship hidden. No-one knew about us. It was far from easy and I hated that it had to be that way but it was safer. Krennic had already proven that he had no compunction about using those I love as a means of keeping me under control and I had no intention of going through what I suffered when I lost you and your mother a second time. So, we kept our relationship a secret. We met in darkened corners of the hanger bay or my chambers and any time that Bodhi was late on a supply run, I had to pretend that I was worried about the bloody kyber rather than my lover. So, while waiting for Bodhi to return home may not get any easier, I am at least able to take comfort from the fact that I can now show my worry for him openly, just as you do for Cassian.”

“I can’t imagine having to hide what I have with Cassian like that.”

“Well, I am grateful you don’t have to and I will admit that while hiding our love was far from easy, it has made us treasure the present even more.”

Jyn looked as though she wanted to say more but, before she could, a young Mon Calamari hurried up to them. “Senator Organa says to tell you that we’ve made contact. Rogue Squadron has dropped out of hyperspace and will be landing imminently.”

“Are they…? I mean, were there any casualties?”

“We lost several ships but both Captain Andor and Lieutenant Rook have made the drop from hyperspace.”

Jyn sagged against Galen in relief and he hugged her tighter in return, feeling the tension leach out of his body. They were alive. Both Bodhi and Cassian were alive.

The base burst into action around the father/daughter duo, mechanics emerging from the hangers and other members of the Alliance congregating to welcome back the returning pilots. Jyn was practically vibrating in Galen’s arms in her anticipation and, if truth be told, Galen was feeling the same sense of anticipation; he was simply better at hiding it.

It was simply a matter of minutes before the first ships started coming in to land, mechanics and droids running to meet them. Galen saw the Twi’lek that working alongside K2 on Cassian’s ship moving forward and then Jyn was off, running towards the newly-landed ships with a cry of delight. Galen couldn’t help but smile as he saw a figure detach themselves from the knot of pilots and mechanics and he recognised Cassian as he ran for Jyn, swinging her up and into his arms. Still, as delighted as he was for Jyn, Galen couldn’t help but be concerned that there was still no sign of Bodhi. The Mon Calamari messenger had said that Bodhi was alive but it seemed as though most of the ships had landed and there was still no sign of Bodhi. It was hardly surprising that Galen’s mind immediately started to collate a list of all the things that could have gone wrong since the squadron made the jump to hyperspace.

All of a sudden, the sound of engines filled the air and three ships came into view, the middle ship clearly struggling as the other two ships flanked it to ensure that it managed to land safely. You could call it whatever you wanted – gut instinct or whatever – but Galen just knew that the central ship in distress was Bodhi’s.

“Shall we go and see what trouble the idiot has managed to get himself into this time?”

Galen turned to see the slight figure of Benb next to him, the Sullustan engineer and mechanic that was the only person that Bodhi allowed near his ship other than himself. “You think it’s Bodhi as well?”

Benb had simply snorted disdainfully. “Captain Andor managed to land in one piece, who else could it be?”

The route to the three ships – and hopefully Bodhi – took them past a still embracing Cassian and Jyn, the former of whom reached out and grasped Galen’s arm.

“Galen? He’s alright. He’s a bit banged up but it’s nothing too serious. We were lucky though; the TIE fighters outnumbered us four to one.”

Galen nodded, not entirely reassured by Cassian’s words but appreciating the effort all the same, and reached out to squeeze Cassian’s shoulder, pressing a kiss to Jyn’s temple before continuing on his path. He was maybe some ten feet from Bodhi’s ship, Benb already surveying and muttering over the damage, when Bodhi finally came into view, manoeuvring himself somewhat gingerly out of the cockpit. This close, Galen could quite clearly see the evidence of the battering that Bodhi’s ship had taken and was amazed that Bodhi even had the energy to get out of the cockpit. He watched as Bodhi made it down the ladder and spoke briefly with Benb before he looked up and caught sight of Galen.

Galen watched the play of emotions that crossed Bodhi’s face in quick succession; relief, surprise, hope and delight all flitted across Bodhi’s expressive face before he settled for exhausted. Feeling certain that the inevitable crash wasn’t far off, Galen quickened his pace to meet Bodhi in the middle. He may not have picked Bodhi off the floor and swung him through the air as Cassian had done to Jyn but his greeting was no less enthusiastic as he pulled Bodhi into a searing kiss the instant that he was within touching distance. Bodhi had no complaints if the alacrity with which he responded to the kiss or the way that his arms twined around Galen were anything to go by. Finally, they broke apart when air became a necessity.

“Are you injured?”

“Not really … just a few burns and bruises. Mostly just exhausted.”

“Then come, let me look after you.”

(~*~)

“Not that I’m complaining but … I’ve never quite had a reaction to my homecoming like that before.”

Bodhi’s words were quiet, his fingers trailing over Galen’s forearm where it lay heavy across Bodhi’s waist. Galen had taken care of his lover as best as he could, washing him carefully in the fresher (whilst dreaming of the day when they had a bath tub) before tending to Bodhi’s injuries. Thankfully, Bodhi had been correct and none of them had been too dire but, even so, when Galen had finally taken Bodhi to bed, their love-making had been gentle and worshipful.

“You’ve never really been involved in a battle like this; not since Hoth. Besides, I’ve never been able to welcome you home like this. We always had to hide, I could never show my concern for your safety. Never show how much I loved, how much I love you.”

“You were worried for me,” Bodhi twisted his head so that he could look up at Galen.

“I was. I will always worry for you, every time you fly off on a mission or to a battle.” Galen pre-empted Bodhi’s next words, knowing what he would say. “And don’t even think about trying to stop flying. You’re the pilot, you’re _my pilot._ Bodhi, as hard as it is watching you fly off, I wouldn’t deny you something that you love so much.”

“But I love you more.”

“That may be so but I’m more than happy for you to continue flying so long as you always do your best to come home to me.”

Bodhi’s response was a passionate kiss that lingered, turning into something altogether more gentle. A reaffirmation that carried a wealth of emotion behind it.

“Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you would prefer to comment on DW, you can do so [here](http://vix-spes.dreamwidth.org/271425.html)


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